A Guide to Controlling Fungus Gnats in Hydroponic Gardens

A Guide to Controlling Fungus Gnats in Hydroponic Gardens
By Liz Servito

Adult fungus gnats are completely harmless, but their larvae are the real problem in any garden. The larvae dwell in and feed on the roots of plants, ultimately hampering growth and development. As the roots get damaged, they may rot and bacteria will have a place to live.

The adult are able to lay around 200 eggs in the medium during their 10-day life span, so in order to prevent infestation, immediate action is necessary. The larvae rarely kill plants, however, the damage they cause will greatly reduce yields and your plants' overall vigor

To control the population of fungus gnats, place yellow sticky traps on all garden pots. Fungus gnats go in and out of the growing medium, and if you place sticky traps they'll get caught before they even reach the medium. The trapped gnats will give you an idea of the infestation level, which is important when determining is your prevention strategies are working well.

Here are other simple and effective tips to controlling fungus gnats:

* Install screens on any doors, windows, vents, and other entry points of your garden. Choose fine mesh to make sure that all gnats, including other pesky insects are kept out of your garden.

* Sterilize your garden tools and supplies before use.

* Before your go in your garden, make sure you change your clothes and thoroughly wash your hands first.

* Dispose of any decomposing or dead plat matter from around and inside your garden. Do this often as the gnats lay eggs and loves to eat wet, decaying leaves, roots, and other organic materials. Immediately get rid of them by placing them in a bag and bringing the bag away from your hydroponic garden.

* Keep pets out of your garden, as they are possible carriers of fungus gnats and other unwanted insects.

* Avoid filling up your hydroponic system to the point that the your growing medium's surface is always wet. It may be necessary to reduce the fill time, so that they doesn't fill up and wet your growing medium.

* See to it that any clone or seedling you bring inside your garden is absolutely free from pests and diseases.

* Every after harvest, thoroughly clean your hydroponics system. Make sure there's no trace of algae, and thoroughly wash all containers and lines. Run a mix of 1 ounce of 35 per cent hydrogen peroxide to each gallon of water through your system for an entire day. Drain it off and then rinse the system.

If you are looking for safe, effective, and affordable products for controlling fungus gnats, contact the team at CXhydroponics by following the link.

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Yum! Tasty Edible Flowers You Can Grow Yourself

Yum! Tasty Edible Flowers You Can Grow Yourself
By Lawrence L. Hoyle

Add a beautiful, aesthetic touch to your next dinner with tasty flowers that you can grow yourself. Many upscale restaurants have adopted the practice of garnishing salads and certain dishes with flowers. Flowers provide a touch of color, fragrance, texture and taste to an ordinary meal. You too can create a beautiful dish by growing your own edible flowers.

Can you really eat flowers?

The answer is: yes! If you are new to the idea of eating edible flowers, you will soon find that these can make tasty and beautiful garnishes. Think of the flowers like garnishes. Except like traditional garnishes like parsley, edible flowers provide a dazzling array of colors, fragrance and texture. Many people who come across flower garnishes for the first time in their life are often afraid of eating them. Don't be afraid! They are quite good to eat, often adding a zesty or fragrant flavor to an otherwise dull meal.

The dual purpose of edible flowers

Many flowers serve a dual purpose: they are there to look beautiful in your garden, as well as to provide an aesthetic and tasty treat on your dinner plate. You can grow these flowers and enjoy them in your garden, and you can also enjoy them in the kitchen. Some specialty grocery stores will also offer edible flowers for sale. However, these are often expensive because these flowers are quite fragile and will not keep their texture for long after they have been picked. You can save yourself the expense and provide a steady supply of fresh flowers to your dinner table by growing edible flowers yourself. You should also be wary about the flowers you eat-specifically, make sure that they are organic and free of any pesticides. Here is a brief overview of the most popular edible flowers and how they might be used in your cooking.

Nasturtiums-the most common flower for eating.

Nasturtiums are by far the most common edible flower, and there is good reason for this. Nasturtiums give a bold dose of scarlet and yellow colors. They look and taste great with green salads and come in a range of colors, including, cream, orange and many bi-colors. They are also relatively easy to grow. You can grow them from seed or eat them straight off a transplant (making certain that they are safe to eat, of course). What does nasturtium taste like? You will find that they make a flavorful addition to any salad, and can range from slightly sweet to bold and peppery. Many chefs have discovered the unique taste of making flavorful vinegar from nasturtium. Simply add a handful of fresh nasturtium to a high-quality white wine Vinegar and let the mixture sit in a dark cool place for several weeks.

For a minty flavor, choose pansies.

Pansies are popular annuals that can offer a mild wintergreen flavor to any dish. Use pansies to create cake decorations, or make a luxurious cream cheese appetizer.

Marigolds-a useful substitute for saffron

Pot marigold, also known as Calendula, are easily substituted for saffron. Simply cook them with oil, which will bring out the flavor and color of the flowers. You can cook them with a bit of olive oil and some chopped onions and add these to rice or broth for a unique and flavorful combination. Marigolds are inexpensive and easy to grow, making them a good choice if you are new to edible flowers.

Eat healthy with squash flowers.

Squash flowers are one of the most popular and common of the edible flowers. You can use squash flowers, zucchini flowers, acorn and patty pan squash in various dishes. Squash flowers are often used in traditional Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine for many years.

Lawrence L. Hoyle, author, 54 years in the Landscape Profession. Check out his main website at: http://www.web-landscape-design-ideas.com. This website has free Landscape help for Do-It-Yourselves and a online Landscape Design Services for Homeowners, Landscape Contractors and Home Builders. Designs online since 2003 with designs in 40 states. Get your today.!

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Why Rhododendrons Fail to Grow and Two Super Hardy Rhododendrons for Cold Climates

Why Rhododendrons Fail to Grow and Two Super Hardy Rhododendrons for Cold Climates
By Michael J McGroarty

All the time people say to me; "Rhododendrons don't do well or grow for me." Right here and now I'll tell you why that is so and how to fix it.

Believe it or not, Rhododendrons and Azaleas are quite easy to grow and it only takes a few things to make them happy. There's a fundamental secret about growing Rhododendrons in your yard or your landscape that cannot be overlooked and it cannot be stated strongly enough. Here it is...

Rhododendrons Do Not Like Wet Feet!

They cannot tolerate any kind of moisture standing or collecting around their root systems. If you have a rhododendron or rhododendrons in your landscape that are struggling go outside, stand back and look very closely at the location of your rhododendrons and run through this check list.

1. What is the soil like in the planting bed?

2. Is it good topsoil that drains really well?

3. If you take a shovel and scoop out a shovel of soil from that area will the soil easily crumble into a small pile of soil, or will it remain in one solid lump?

4. Is your rhododendron near a downspout or does the gutter overflow anywhere near your Rhododendrons?

5. Is the rhododendron near the back of the bed and has the soil in that area settled to the point that it is lower than the surrounding areas of the bed?

6. Do you have an automatic watering system in the bed or do you regularly water the plants in that bed?

7. How much mulch do you have in that bed?

8. Do you ever loosen the mulch in the bed or just keep re-apply fresh mulch over what's there?

9. How deep were your Rhododendrons planted when originally installed in the landscape?

All of these things can contribute to an environment that is not super healthy for Rhododendrons and other plants, especially evergreens and Japanese maples.

All Plants Breath through their Roots! Did You know that?

All plants need to have the ability to transfer oxygen from the air to their root systems. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but it's true. That's why when a plant is installed too deep in a landscape, or planted in a wet location, they struggle and often die. Some plants are more tolerant of soil that breathes poorly than others, but they all need to breath. Plants like rhododendrons, Japanese maples and other evergreens are much less tolerant of this than many flowering shrubs.

It's important for you to understand how much rhododendrons dislike wet feet conditions and exactly what constitutes a wet condition. To illustrate what I am trying to explain to you, I'll tell you "a real life story about my relationship with some rhododendrons".

Many, many years ago I was growing some plants with my two friends Larry and Dale. My backyard was filled with plants, Larry's backyard was filled with plants and Dale owned a vacant lot so we filled that with plants. We had 705 rhododendrons in my backyard that we either had to sell or move to an area where they had more room. We decided to move them so we could later sell them for more money. We planted 600 of them in Larry's backyard then ran out of room so we took the other 105 over to Dale's vacant lot.

We had a lot of stuff already growing in Larry's backyard and the soil was a bit sticky, but the dogwood trees and other plants seem to do well there. Because the soil was sticky digging a root ball when it was time to sell the plants was easy because the balls never fell apart. That's a handy feature to have when ball and burlap digging plants.

Dale's lot on the other hand was very, very different. It was all sand and gravel. Mostly gravel! Digging a root ball on that rock farm was challenging and you could literally see sparks coming off the spade as you hit the rocks in the soil. Many of those rocks were the size of a nice sized baked potato!

The soil was well drained, but during times of drought that wasn't great because we had no water on that lot whatsoever. It was so dry one summer that some of the Chinese dogwoods that had been there for two years dried out.

The soil was hot, dry and as rocky as can be.

The 105 rhododendrons that we planted on that rock farm loved it!

They were as happy as happy can be and they grew like weeds. The 600 that we planted at Larry's house did okay, looked okay but it took them at least an additional two years before we could sell them. We sold the 105 off the rock farm in no time flat but it took several years for the ones in the heavier soil to each reach landscape size so we could sell them.

It was right then and there that I realized how much rhododendrons dislike wet feet!

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Electric Wheelbarrow Review

Electric Wheelbarrow Review
By Michael J McGroarty

Last growing season I was given the opportunity to use, test and review this awesome electric wheelbarrow from ElectricWheelbarrows.com. If you've known me or have been following me for any length of time you know that I am huge, flag waving fan of single wheel, construction grade Jackson wheelbarrows. To the point to even offer up "Wheelbarrow Tips and Tricks".

But at the same time, I'm a true believer in using the right tool for the job, and sometimes you need to move large amounts of material long distances, over rough or soft terrain. If you want to take your cardio workout to an insane level, or a truly deadly level for an old guy like me, try pushing a loaded wheelbarrow across a muddy yard or through the snow.

So even though I am not ready and never will be ready to give up my Jackson wheelbarrow I can see a ton of uses for this electric wheelbarrow which holds more, crosses rough terrain with ease and will allow just about anybody to move large amounts of material just about any distance they need to safely.

This electric wheelbarrow would be a life saver on a horse farm or just about any farm for that. Great for hauling a few bales of hay or cleaning out stalls and hauling manure.

It would be equally valuable for landscaping. Having landscaped over 500 homes in my younger days I'd never trade my single wheel Jackson for wheeling mulch into the beds because it's so easy to maneuver a single wheel wheelbarrow between planted shrubs. But it sure would have been nice to have one of these electric wheelbarrows for moving 10 or 20 cubic yards of topsoil from the curb to the back of the house, something we did many times by hand.

Note the heavy duty tractor type tread on the tires and having dual wheels gives you more support and more floatation on wet, or uneven ground. The tub is positioned on this machine so the majority of the weight is on the drive axle. The tub is designed and balanced on the machine in such a way that as soon as you release the dump lever, the tub dumps automatically. You don't have to fight with it, and when you dump or operate the machine the weight is never on your back.

This machine has a 10 cubic foot tub, which is a considerably larger than most construction wheelbarrows.

This machine is rechargeable, and has a long battery use life between charging.

You should be able to use it all day without the battery running down. There are indicator lights on the little control panel so you know when the battery is due for it's next charge.

If I were still landscaping and building brick patios and walks like I did in the old days, I'd make a flat platform to set on top of the tub so we could put several straps of paving bricks on the platform to move them around to the back of the house or where ever we were working. If you've even carried 11 bricks in a brick strap all day, one strap in each hand, you know what true back pain is all about. This machine could easily make that job 100 times easier and it would be a lot more ergonomically correct than having all of that weight on your spine.

This machine would be awesome for hauling stone or wet concrete in places where the cement truck is not likely to go. It would be worth it's weight in gold for that!

All in all I think this is a well built, well designed piece of equipment if you have an application where you could put one of these machines to use.

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The Convenience of Having a Kitchen Garden in Your Backyard

The Convenience of Having a Kitchen Garden in Your Backyard
By Cheryl D. Jones

Grown right outside of the home, the convenience of having a kitchen garden in your backyard can be very time saving. In today's world of large supermarkets, most do not have kitchen gardens anymore and all sorts of foods are available year round without any direct effort of having grown them. Despite this allure, the convenience of having a kitchen garden is still very real, and until you've tried the deliciousness of a homegrown oregano in your pasta sauce that was picked right outside your back door, you may not realize what you are missing.

There is some initial work and investment involved in any garden, but be extremely simple and not a lot of work or investment. You can invest in designing a small area and have it landscaped to create a beautiful backyard garden, or you can purchase a few large pots and have them set right outside of your back door for easy access. What's more important about your kitchen garden is what you choose to grow.

Many people with kitchen gardens choose to grow herb plants that they would regularly purchase at the grocery store. This is especially popular with immigrants from other countries. They often bring or order seeds from their native homelands and grow them on here in their kitchen gardens so that they can continue to enjoy many of the same foods that they relied upon in their home countries. For example, Italian immigrants used to have gardens filled with spices and greens that they used in Italy in their everyday cooking and to help supplement what they purchased here. Asians brought over seeds of bitter melon and various cabbages for staples in their cooking. Many hybrid dishes have been made that way and are staples in American cooking today.

Starting with perennial herbs and perennial vegetables that are incredibly easy to grow crops is recommended. Rosemary, chives, oregano, thyme, sage, rhubarb and asparagus make a good base for adding annual herbs and vegetables. These base herbs will carry any cook throughout many dishes summer through winter. Supplemented annual herbs can be harvested and frozen or dried for off season use.

Seasonal vegetables that are popular with kitchen gardens are tomatoes. As the countries' most popular garden vegetable, the tomato makes the backbone of most kitchen gardens and for great reason. Ready right off of the vine in the summer, tomatoes are a real treat fresh from the back yard! They taste much sweeter and balanced than grocery store tomatoes, and with the heirloom revival tomatoes are also beautiful and varied in shape and textures.

Peppers are another backyard garden favorite. They too can be easily preserved and enjoyed fresh, and growing your own peppers will save you lots of money on grocery shopping. If you've never enjoyed the health benefits and ease of growing delicious fresh peppers before you should. Even kitchen gardens in the far north can enjoy a harvest of sweet peppers with the right varieties grown. Both tomatoes and peppers are as easily grown in containers as they are in the ground.

Lettuces and other greens are another great seasonal kitchen garden additions. There are many kinds of lettuce with many flavors, many of which you can normally only find in fancy expensive restaurants. Grow them yourself at home and enjoy gourmet right outside of your back door cheaply! Other seasonal greens such as swiss chard, healthy spinach, cabbage, and microgreens are all expensive from the store too, and are so easy to grow at home. Save money on grocery shopping by growing your own greens.

Today, families are eating healthier and are more concerned about the quality and taste of their food. If you're still not sure about the convenience of a kitchen garden, try growing a few plants in containers and watch your family enjoy the ease of picking fresh herbs for adding to the family meal. Children love growing and harvesting these foods and the kitchen garden can become a project for the entire family!

Cheryl D. Jones, shares gardening tips and landscape ideas through her blog, newsletters and her nursery's website. Visit http://www.GreenwoodNursery.com/ for a full line of plants including trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and ground covers. Join the Greenwood Gardeners Club free to receive Greenwood Nursery's weekly newsletter, seasonal promotions and 10% off your first order. Start growing your own kitchen garden with herb plants and perennial vegetables from Greenwood Nursery.

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How to Keep Cats From Using Your Yard As a Bathroom

How to Keep Cats From Using Your Yard As a Bathroom
By Michael J McGroarty

Dave was a friendly stray who liked to hang out at a local restaurant and pester customers for their leftovers. Dave is actually a girl. She was named after the owner of the restaurant she frequented. (We knew she was female, but decided to call her Dave anyway.) Now days the only dining Dave does in on my back patio.

Dave (like most cats) loves to hang around in the garden and nap in my landscape beds. For the most part, I don't mind her in there... just as long as she's not using it as her litter box.

Your garden makes a great litter box.

When you are an outdoor cat, the world is your toilet. If you are unfamiliar with the toilet habits of cats... lucky you! Let me fill you in. Cat urine has concentrated amounts of ammonia that grow actually grows stronger as it sits. So it's no surprise that when your cat pees on your tomato plant, it burns the leaves.

Cats have a natural instinct to bury their feces. In the wild, large cats use their waste to mark their territory. Dominate cats leave their feces unburied as way to lay claim to their land. Less dominate cats bury their feces as an act of submission.

Nearly all domesticated cats will bury their waste (be that in a litter box or in the garden) as act of submission to their human owners. That's right, Dave. I'm top cat 'round these parts. Cats will also bury their waste to prevent both predators and prey from learning the locations of their favorite hang outs.

So how do you rewire nature's programing? You don't. Your best bet is to make your garden a less desirable place for cats to do their business.

A domestic cat's sense of smell is almost 14 times as strong as a human's. Certain smells are unpleasant to cats. I know what you're thinking: Cats live in dumpsters. If it smells bad to a cat then I probably don't want it planted in my yard. Wrong! These things smell great to us. I'm sure Yankee Candle can attest to that.

Lavender
Citrus
Geranium
Coffee

Planting things like lavender, rue, geranium, curry plant, rosemary, and citrus scented plants will deter cats from hanging around your garden. (Lemongrass seems to be the exception. Cats really like to nibble on lemongrass.)

Placing citrus peels or coffee grounds in your garden bed will also keep cats out. Go lightly with the coffee grounds. It can add a lot of acidity to your soil that many plants won't appreciate. (Your azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and hydrangea will love it though!)

There are a few deterrents that are said to work well that aren't as pleasant to us humans. Coleus canina is a creeping plant that is sometimes referred to as "Scaredy Cat Plant". When you brush against it, the smell is slightly skunky. That's enough to scare anyone away.

Predator urine is another tough, yet unpleasant way to get the job done.

A handful of mothballs in a plastic bottle (with holes poked through it) is another way to keep the felines (and neighbors) at bay.

Its been said that mulching will keep a cat out of your flower bed. This is simply not true. While mulching doesn't keep them out, it does keep them from using it as a litter box. The mulch makes it difficult to bury their waste. They don't like digging through it.

Likewise, you can lay fencing, chicken wire or lattice over your garden bed. Your plants will grow through the lattice holes, but cats won't be able to dig in the area.

Spray bottles are my favorite tool for training indoor cats to stay off tables and counters. Give them a little spritz of water and they learn quickly not to repeat the behavior. Chasing cats around your yard with a spray bottle isn't really efficient. Instead you might try a motion activated sprinkler. It will only come on when a cat (or other animal) walks in front of it. It'll keep critters out and water your plants at the same time.

To keep the cats from laying in my seed trays I place toothpicks in the soil. Walmart and our dollar store sell wood kabob skewers. Stick them in your flowers beds and cats won't lay on your plants.

I've heard someone suggest sprinkling jacks (the old toys) in your garden to keep cats from getting comfortable. I like this idea for potted plants, but I'm not so sure I want to pick them out of my garden beds when its time for re-planting.

The ASPCA suggests that instead of making your garden less desirable to a cat, create an area somewhere else that is more desirable for a cat. Find a small area and fill it with sand. They will be more apt to use it as a liter box than your garden.

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Hydrangeas: When Do I Prune Them? Why Didn't They Flower?

Hydrangeas: When Do I Prune Them? Why Didn't They Flower?
By Michael J McGroarty

Hydrangeas can be divided into two categories. Those that bloom on the current year's growth, and those that bloom on old wood, (last year's growth).

The Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood are from the macrophylla family. These include Nikko Blue, Endless Summer and many other pinks and blues. When I say they bloom on old wood I mean that they are busy right now setting buds for next summer. So next year when they take off growing in the spring, the flower shoots will actually emerge from the older wood, the wood that was produced this year.

The hydrangeas that bloom on new wood are typically the white hydrangeas like Annabelle and Paniculata Grandiflora (PG). They put on new growth in the spring and then later in the summer the new blooms are actually produced right at the end of that new growth. That's why the Annabelle and PG are such prolific bloomers. They set flower buds and almost immediately those buds produce big, beautiful, abundant flowers. Almost nothing can go wrong with their blooming sequence.

But with the Blue and Pink Hydrangeas (macrophyllas) all kinds of things can go wrong with the flower buds. Since the flower buds are produced in August and September they have to make it through the harsh winter before they can bloom. The flower buds can be damaged by extreme cold.

Pruning? You should prune macrophylla hydrangeas right after they bloom, before they have a chance to start making new flower buds. Annabelle and PG hydrangea and other hydrangeas that flower on new wood can be pruned during the late fall, winter or early spring. Once they start growing in the spring, do not do any pruning until after they bloom.

One of the most popular new varieties on the market is "Endless Summer Hydrangea" and it is known to bloom more than once in a season. It's in the macrophylla family and sets flower buds on old wood, but it is also known to set more buds and produce flowers during the growing season. It should still be treated as a hydrangea that blooms on old wood.

So... with all of that said, if your hydrangea did not bloom then the flower buds might have gotten pruned off, or more likely the buds were damaged over the winter.

Hydrangeas like more water than most plants, and at least a smidgen of shade helps them stay healthy and happy.

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How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles and Grubs in Your Lawn

How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles and Grubs in Your Lawn
By Michael J McGroarty

First, it's important to make the connection that the white grubs in your lawn will hatch into Japanese Beetles and if you have Japanese Beetles they will lay eggs in your lawn that turn into white grubs.

Japanese Beetles can severely damage your roses and other plants in your landscape because they feed on the leaves and can almost completely defoliate some plants.

The white grubs ruin your lawn!

They feed on the roots of the grass near the soil surface. The damage usually shows up when it's hot and dry because without a good root system the grasses in your lawn will start dying. Damaged areas in your lawn feel spongy when you walk on the grass because of the tunneling that's taking place under the surface. If the damage is extensive the grass can be pulled up like carpet because the roots have been chewed off.

Skunks, Crows, Grubs and other Critters dig up your lawn to get at the grubs. In the fall when skunks are instinctively packing away the food to fatten up for the winter they can destroy a lawn in one night if it has a heavy grub infestation. Look for little holes in your flower beds. That usually means that the birds have been digging for grubs.

During the summer months when the soil is warm the grubs are usually at a depth of 2" or less. As winter approaches they go deeper into the soil and become almost inactive. As soon as spring arrives and the soil temperatures increase they move back toward the surface and start feeding on the roots of your lawn once again.

They eat away for another 4 to 6 weeks, then emerge from the soil as adult Japanese Beetles and start feeding on your landscape. As they devour your landscape they start laying batches of eggs. Usually 20 to 60 eggs total per female beetle. And the life cycle starts all over again.

You can lift areas of sod in your lawn where you suspect you might have white grub infestation and look for the grubs. They are white in color and range in size from 1/2" to 1" long. If you have more that 6 grubs per square foot it's time to think about a way to control them.

If you opt for a chemical control there are several products on the market and the best time to apply them is late August and early September. The white grubs are much easier to control when they are smaller and closer to the surface of the soil.

Biological control of white Japanese Beetle grubs can be achieved by applying the insect parasitic nematode species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. You can purchase these nematodes under a variety of different trade names.

Another biological control is Milky Spore which is actually bacterium pacenibacillus popillae. However, this is a long-term approach and can take years for the spore to spread throughout your lawn. It actually requires to ingest the spores and then as they die their carcass becomes part of the control to help spread the spores throughout your lawn.

Japanese Beetle Traps! Do they work? Well... the jury is still out. Most traps use both a sex lure that attracts male beetles and sweet smelling lure that attract both sexes. Without a doubt these traps attract a lot of beetles, but some research indicates that they attract more beetles to the area of the trap than they actually trap. That means that plants in the path of the trap might suffer more damage.

If you use traps place them near the edge of the property and well away from plants that are damaged by Japanese Beetles.

Since there is some biological control that naturally takes place without your intervention it is recommend that you only consider chemical control when the infestation is severe because the chemicals disrupt the natural process of control.

I hope what I've given you here helps. It is confusing.

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Tree Stump Removal

Tree Stump Removal
By Michael J McGroarty

Tree stump removal instructions that make a very difficult, if not an impossible job, manageable.

I spent about 20 years re-landscaping homes. We used to re-landscape three homes a week, and we did all of this work on evenings and Saturdays because I worked a full time job. I have no idea how many homes I re-landscaped over the years, but the number is well over 500. Every one of those re-landscaping jobs had overgrown landscaping that needed to be removed before we could even start the actual landscaping job.

That meant that dozens and dozens of tree stumps and large stumps from overgrown shrubbery had to be removed.

Of course county wisdom says that you just back up Bubba's pickup truck, wrap a chain around the stump and drive away as fast as you can. I'll admit, I've done that. Does it work? Sort of. But it's also a great way to really tear up a pick up truck, completely destroy the lawn, and possibly damage the house.

Therefore it's not such a good idea. Especially when you are doing work on someone's house like I was doing.

So over the years we refined a technique for actually removing these stumps by hand. Tree stump removal by hand with the wrong tools is an impossible task. Tree stump removal with the right tools is doable. I won't say it's easy work because it's not. But if you use the right tools and the right techniques you don't have to strain your back and ruin your tools. It's more of a methodical process of digging around the tree stump with a good nursery digging spade, and using a landscape bar, also known as a spud bar to cut the roots as you encounter them while digging.

The secret is to start out away from the stump. If you start working too closely to the stump you will encounter large heavy roots that will be too difficult to deal with. So if you start out a little farther and just start digging a small trench around the stump with the spade, then going around in the trench you just dug with the spud bar to cut the roots that the spade won't cut, then more spade work, then more landscape bar work, that tree stump will come out of the ground. Don't pry and bend up your tools. Use the tools to cut the roots. Prying won't get you anywhere and your tools will be ruined.

I've been teaching this technique on the Internet for a number of years now and people write to me all the time and tell me how well it worked for them.

Happy digging! -Mike

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How to Naturally Dispose of Weeds

How to Naturally Dispose of Weeds
By Michael J McGroarty

It's almost spring, so the big question is what to do first?

Take a look at your perennials. Do they have a lot of dead foliage on them still from last year? If so, cut it or pull it off. Clean up all of last years growth so the new growth will look clean and fresh.

Get rid of all the weeds in your gardens. Yeah, yeah, I know, that's no fun, but if you get all of them out now you can maintain a weed free garden all season long. Well, almost weed free. Weed control is an all summer task, but it shouldn't be difficult or overwhelming.

Most people fail at weed control because they never get it completely under control. So here's what you do. Start loosening the soil and removing all the existing weeds. Then put down newspaper at least 8 pages thick and cover that with about 2″ of mulch. You can also use brown paper grocery bags, they work great!

I don't like those weed barrier fabrics that you can buy in the garden stores because... when I was in the landscaping business I pulled out miles of that stuff. Why did we pull it out? Because it was a horrendous mess with weeds growing up through it! You couldn't pull the weeds because they were all tangled up in the so called weed barrier material.

That's why I like newspaper or paper bags. They go away! And that's really important in your gardens. Don't put things in there that won't go away. Newspaper and mulch are biodegradable.

What about all the magic weed control potions that you can buy? Do they work? Yes they do. But most people don't use them properly so they get really poor results. Products like Preen and other pre-emergent weed control products are just that, pre-emergent. That means they only control weed seeds. Controlling weed seeds is important, but if you don't have all of the existing weeds and weed roots under control first your pre-emergent weed control is doomed from the start.

So you have to completely clear out all of the existing weeds from your gardens then apply the pre-emergent weed control formulas. I still recommend the newspaper because the pre-emergent weed controls will not control weeds that come from roots left in the ground. The only way to control the weed roots from growing is to starve them of sunlight and you do that with newspaper and mulch. If they can't get sunlight they cannot grow.

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Why Not Grow Your Own Blueberries?

Why Not Grow Your Own Blueberries?
By Michael J McGroarty

Blueberries are good for you! They are low in calories, low in sodium and contain no cholesterol. They are a good source of fiber and they contain pectin which is known to lower blood cholesterol levels. They are said to help prevent bladder infections and are said to have some ability in preventing some kinds of cancers.

Blueberries are easy to grow, but it takes them three years before they produce much fruit and almost six years to get fully up to speed.

If you are in a northern state like Ohio you want Highbush Blueberry plants. If you are in a southern state, you want Rabbiteye or Southern Highbush Blueberry plants.

High bush blueberries are the most common "garden" varieties. Northern high bush varieties grow in zones 4-7. Southern high bush varieties grow in zones 5-9. Southern high Bush varieties tend to have smaller berries than the Northern high bush varieties, but they are much more heat tolerant. High bush blueberry plants grow to an average height of 6-8 feet. Sometimes they will grow as high as 12 feet. When planting, space them 3-4 feet apart. Stems become unproductive after 6 years and should be pruned off.

Rabbiteye blueberries get their name because the berry turns a pink shade (like a rabbit's eye) before ripening to blue. Rabbiteye are low chill varieties suited for zones 7-9. They can be grown in colder zones, but because of their low chilling requirements they are apt to produce berries early. You might lose a crop to spring frost.
Rabbiteye blueberries are more tolerable of drought and poor soil conditions than the other varieties. Surprising to most people, they are actually taller than the high bush varieties. Rabbiteye, if left alone, can reach heights of 20 feet!

Blueberry plants will produce fruit if you only plant one kind of Blueberry, but if you plant more than one cultivar in your berry patch your plants will produce more fruit and the fruit will be larger. So if possible plant two different varieties so they can cross-pollinate.

Like most plants Blueberries really like good rich soil that drains well. They need water on a regular basis when first planted, but don't keep the soil soggy all
the time. Allow it to dry between watering.

Plants should be at least 4' apart, 5' would be better.

For the first 3 years little pruning is required. By the 4th year you can remove all dead wood from inside the plant, and remove any branches that are criss-crossing inside the plant. All remaining branches need plenty of sunlight and air flow.

It's a good idea to put a layer of mulch over the root zone of Blueberry plants to maintain moisture, uniform soil temperatures and control weeds.

By years 5 and 6 you will be in Blueberry heaven and your Blueberry plants will just keep right on producing an ample crop of Blueberries for many years to come.
Just keep them pruned. In the colder states normal pruning is done in mid March. Warmer states prune much earlier.

Have a Blueberry good time!

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5 Nutrient-Dense Foods To Grow At Home

5 Nutrient-Dense Foods To Grow At Home
By Margaret E

Nutrient density refers to the nutrient level in relation to the number of calories. These nutrients are such contents as vitamins, mineral, healthy fats, proteins, complex carbohydrates and trace elements. Nutrient-dense foods are therefore high in these ingredients while being relatively low in calories.

Vegetables and fruit normally have vitamins, minerals and other nutrients but some have more than others. If you grow vegetables organically at home in rich soil, they will be more nutrient-dense than commercially grown ones. Here are five vegetables and fruits that are nutrient-dense naturally and more so if grown and cared for in the home organic garden.

1. Potatoes

For a long time potatoes have been considered a healthy source of food. In the past many people, notably the Irish, have lived for a long time on potatoes and very little else. The reason for this is that potatoes contain so many of our essential nutrients.

A potato contains Potassium, Magnesium, Potassium, Manganese, Iron and Copper together with vitamin C and most of the B vitamins. In addition there is a large quantity of carbohydrate, mostly complex, which is an important energy source. They contain antioxidants, mainly carotenoids and anthocyanins.

Since potatoes are vegetables they can be included as part of your daily fruit and vegetable requirement. The skin contributes fibre and some nutrient. Research has shown that potatoes have a place in weight-loss diets, despite the bad press they have received from some quarters.

2. Garlic

Garlic is not just an ingredient to add flavour to foods but it's also a surprisingly nutritious food. It's most nutritious when it is raw but if you find the flavour too strong, it is still valuable if it is cooked in the food.

Garlic is member of the allium family and it's most valuable ingredient is Allicin, which has many health-giving properties. As well as this, garlic is a valuable source of vitamins C, B1 and B6, along with Calcium, Selenium, Potassium, Manganese and Copper. It is known for its ability to fight cancer and has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Besides all this it is a powerful killer of certain bacteria and fungi.

In the garden it helps to protect plants from insect pests such as aphids. You could use it to protect roses and other plants until mid-summer and then harvest it to enjoy in your food.

3. Blueberries

Blueberries have long been considered a "super food" because of the potent antioxidants such as anthocyanins. There are as well various phytochemicals that they contain and other flavonoids such as carotene-β, lutein and zeaxanthin. In addition they contain a number of vitamins and minerals in varying but worthwhile amounts.

A number of research studies have shown their value in promoting and maintaining good health and other studies have suggested that blueberries will assist with a fight against cancer.

If you live in a suitable climate zone and can provide the growing space, home-grown blueberries would be a valuable addition to your diet.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli was not one of the popular vegetables until the news of its health benefits was made known. It is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables you can include in your diet, especially if you steam cook it. It can also be eaten raw.

It is rich in vitamins A, C and K, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Broccoli fights cancer, regulates blood pressure and supports the immune system. It will also detoxify the body and lower cholesterol.

Broccoli is a cool weather vegetable and one you might want to consider growing, given its high nutrient value.

5. Strawberries

Strawberries are a favourite fruit of home gardeners. They can be grown in beds, hanging baskets, large pots or special strawberry urns. There is something especially attractive about strawberries peeping through the straw that helps to protect them from birds, or hanging temptingly from baskets or pots.

Not only are they delicious to eat but they also contain more nutrients than most people realise. They are high in Vitamins A and C, Potassium, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus. There is also dietary fibre and small amounts of selenium and iron. They are reasonably low in carbohydrates and reportedly help to prevent plaque build-up in the arteries.

If you have only a small home garden it makes sense to grow vegetables that have high nutrient value. That way you can eat them very soon after harvesting while nutrient loss is minimal and flavour is at its best.

Some people garden just as it takes their fancy, often with results they don't fancy. But if you want easy, tried methods of growing your own vegetables, drop into http://abundantgarden.net where ideas from research and over 30 years' organic gardening experience are waiting to inspire you.

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Tips on Transplanting

Tips on Transplanting
By Michael J McGroarty

Wanna know a secret?

Plants are Happiest in the Ground!

That's the secret. When you buy a plant and take it home the absolute best thing you can do for that plant is to get it planted as soon as possible. Plants are happiest in the ground, they are not all that happy sitting on top of the ground, nor are they very happy being grown in a container. Doesn't matter what time of the year it is, as long as the ground is not frozen solid you can and should install the plant into it's permanent home.

Timing is everything!

Make sure you are doing the right thing at the right time of the year and make yourself a written schedule of what you need to do and when it needs to be done. Time flies! With that said you have to prioritize everything so as to not miss a window of opportunity to do something.

Regarding root bound plants, in this case we were talking about root bound Japanese Maples. If they are severely root bound you do need to disturb and possibly cut some of the roots. Since you already this they are probably going to be fine. However, when you have to start cutting the roots vertical to break that girdling habit you have to think about how much you are going to shock the plant.

Cutting the roots is akin to digging a plant out of the ground. It can be a devastating thing for the plant. So when that kind of "surgery" needs to be done, I would much rather see it done after the plant has gone dormant. That way you can cut away with confidence that the plant won't feel a thing.

It's really like surgery on a human. Serious injury when a human is awake causes severe shock. However, when sedated and put into a deep sleep (dormancy for humans) the same type of injuries (surgery) can be inflicted without the patient going into shock.

And that's why I always say, timing is everything in this business.

If you have plants in a grow bed that have to come out, dig them in the early spring and get them all dug before they leaf out. Once they put on leaves, it's game over until mid November.

If you have plants that have rooted through the pot into the ground, move them and trim off those roots in early spring as well. Doing so during the growing season can shock the plant depending on how many and how large the roots are. I have had plants wilt down because I moved the pot during the growing season and broke a lot of roots in the process.

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Is It Too Warm Too Soon? How Will It Affect Our Plants?

Is It Too Warm Too Soon? How Will It Affect Our Plants?
By Michael J McGroarty

I am not going to sugar coat this.

I am deeply concerned about this really, really warm weather this early in the year. It's beautiful outside. Spent some time on the porch yesterday. It was really, really nice out. Pam, my wife, had a knee replacement and is only two days out of the hospital but even she made it to the porch for a while. Her dad knows that I'm a little overwhelmed right now so he decided to rake up the little branches under our Golden Curls Willow tree that is leafing out!!! It has leaves!

My father in law will be 84 in May and he's raking up my lawn! He just loves to help and that's all he knew to do. He's a good guy.

My neighbor has a Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry that will be in full bloom later today or tomorrow. The buds on my Japanese maples are swelling.

This is not good as far as I'm concerned. In all honesty, I am deeply concerned. But as I was fretting about it this morning Pam reminded me that there isn't a thing I can do about it.

So what's the danger?

Frost usually doesn't affect most hardy shrubs that have started leafing out. But a hard freeze, below 32 degrees F. can be devastating, and if we can make it to mid May without a hard freeze that will be nothing short of a small miracle if you ask me. After all, here in northern Ohio temperatures in the twenties are pretty common in April. So if we some how dodge that, we need to thank our lucky stars.

So... how do we protect plants from freeze or frost damage once they have started to leaf out? Some things we can protect, others we cannot. The ground is warm. Ground heat is a handy thing to have and we can take advantage of it to protect flowers, small plants, and low growing shrubs. If you suspect frost or even a hard freeze you should cover any plants that you are concerned with. Don't use clear plastic at all when the sun is out. The clear plastic will only create more heat. But blankets, tarps and drop cloths work great. So do frost blankets if you happen to have any or can get them.

Cover the plants completely and weight down the edges of the covering. Not only are you trying to protect the top of the plant from the air temperatures or frost, but you are also trying to trap as much ground heat as you can, creating a micro environment around your plants.

Small trees and shrubs in your landscape can also be covered. Whether or not you can cover them to the point that you can do the same and trap in ground heat really depends on the size of the cover you use. But just covering the flowers and leaves will protect them from frost. A hard freeze that lasts for more than an hour or two you may not be able to protect them from that.

Other plants and taller trees in your yard, is there anything you can do?

When plants get covered with a coating of frost you can actually take a garden hose and rinse the frost off the plants and this actually helps. Often times with frost the damage occurs when the sun comes up and hits the frost covered leaves or blooms. The frost itself doesn't do the actual damage. It's the sun shining through the frost that burns the plants.

But you have to start this rinsing process before the sun comes up. You have to do it before the sun comes up.

Around here strawberry growers keep irrigation lines set up in the strawberry fields just for that purpose. When they think there's a chance of frost overnight they are up at 4:00 am to start the water running. Often times the strawberry plants are completely covered with ice from the running water. But they just keep applying the water until it warms up enough that the ice melts away and the strawberry blooms are safe for another day.

Grape farmers actually take old airplane engines and mount them on a stand at the end of their fields and when they think there is going to be a frost they go out in the middle of the night and fire up those engines, with airplane propellers, to create wind over the wind to keep the frost from settling in.

So when you go to buy some strawberries this summer or grapes in the fall, and the price seems high, think about all the things the growers do to make sure they have a fruit crop to sell.

So... if you think some of the plants in your landscape might be damaged by a frost or a freeze, try to cover them. If you can't cover them get out there before the sun comes up and rinse the frost away.

And now, we all have to keep our fingers crossed. These plants are leafing out way too soon.

I am deeply concerned and some what powerless. Such is nature. And nature does so much for us that we should be thankful for, we just have to roll with this and make the best of it.

And that's why I love growing plants. Because no matter what happens I always have a huge supply of plants that impress and amaze me everyday.

As always, stay inspired!

- Mike McGroarty

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Japanese Maples and Sex

Japanese Maples and Sex
By Michael J McGroarty

If Japanese maples are so easy to grow from seed, and they are, why do they have to be grafted?

In a nutshell, what I am about to explain is this. When it comes to plants there are two kinds of sex.

Sexual Reproduction and Asexual Reproduction.

It takes Sexual Reproduction for new plant varieties to be found. These off spring are called "chance seedlings".

It takes Asexual Reproduction to perpetually reproduce those beautiful and unique chance seedlings.

Growing plants is a lot like making babies and almost as much fun. (sorry, couldn't resist). That's why I always say that Growing and Selling Small Plants is the Most Fun You can have with Your Bibs on!

Baby making is obviously sexual reproduction and part of the wonder, joy and excitement of making babies is the anticipation of who this baby will be. Will the baby be male or female? Black hair, or red hair like daddy? What kind of personality will the baby have? Human beings are unique. Each and every one of us is just a little bit different.

Plants are no different. When we grow plants from seed we never know for sure what we are going to get. Plant seedlings, like human beings, are unique. Each and every one is different. This is both good and bad. But that's how new plants are discovered or developed. Nursery stock producers who grow plants from seed sow tens of thousands of seeds all at the same time. As the seedlings grow and develop the grower watches over his crop to make sure all of the plants are growing as they should be. But he or she is always on the look out for that one seedling that doesn't look or act like the rest.

That odd ball seedling could be Big Name Plant to hit the market.

In other words, most new plant introductions are chance seedlings that just acted and looked differently.

Some growers do all kinds of things in the way of cross-pollination in an attempt to control or direct the development of new plants, but many are nothing more than chance seedlings that had special and desirable characteristics.

So now let's adapt this to Japanese Maples.

When you grow a Japanese maple from seed that is sexual reproduction. The way nature intended for it to happen. Let's say that you collect 1,000 seeds from a Japanese maple tree that has nice red leaves that hold that deep red color all summer long. The seedlings that you grow from that tree will be Japanese maples for sure. No doubt about that. But they won't all look or act like the parent plant. Some will have red leaves, some will have reddish leaves, some will have green leaves. In other words, you will not get an exact clone of the parent plant.

Cloning Japanese Maple Trees via Asexual Reproduction.

In order to get an exact clone of the Japanese maple tree that you have, you have to use a form of asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is when you take tissue from the parent plant and either get that tissue to form roots, or you attach it to a seedling that already has roots. The tissue that you remove from the parent plant contains all of the DNA of the parent plant. If you are successful in your attempts to reproduce that plant, you will for all intents and purposes have a clone that is an exact match to the parent plant. It may not grow in the same shape as the parent plant since the shape of a plant is often controlled by the grower, or the environmental conditions in which the plant is growing. Sun, shade etc.

There are different forms of asexual reproduction of plants, the most popular being rooting cuttings, grafting, budding and tissue culture. Rooting cuttings is by far the most popular for most plants because it's quick and easy. But it rarely works well for Japanese maple trees. Which is why most Japanese maple trees are budded or grafted.

Budding is when you take a single bud from a plant, slip that bud under the bark of a seedling. The bud attaches itself to the parent plant and at the beginning of the following growing season the grower clips off the top of the seedling right above the bud union. The bud develops into a branch that is trained to grow upright and serve as the stem for the desired tree.

Japanese maples can be budded but it's tricky, so most growers graft them. Grafting is the process of removing a scion (scion is a fancy word for a cutting) and grafting that scion to a seedling. The scion attaches itself to the seedling, making a permanent bond and a new plant is formed.

Growing plants via tissue culture is like making test tube babies. Except with plants you are actually starting with a smidgen of tissue that contains the exact DNA of the plant that you are trying to reproduce. Growing via tissue culture is an amazing thing and the plants that are produced can be just as amazing. But it's really high tech and done in a laboratory. The plants that are produce are really, really tiny so they need special care before they can be moved into a nursery environment.

So when you think of Japanese Maples, there are many, many different varieties that are very different, but each one is unique and beautiful. So when you see one of these beautiful trees you want one that looks exactly like the one you fell in love with. In order to get that, you have to use a method of asexual reproduction in order to guarantee you'll get what you want.

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Nikko Blue Hydrangea - Growing, Propagating and Making Them Bloom

Nikko Blue Hydrangea - Growing, Propagating and Making Them Bloom
By Michael J McGroarty

Nikko Blue Hydrangea. What is the secret to making them bloom?

I think I've discovered the secret to making Nikko Blue Hydrangea bloom like crazy.

Leave them alone! Really. Quit tinkering with your plants trying to give them every little thing they need. What they really need is good soil, and adequate amount but not an over abundance of water and some sunshine. That's about it. Quit fertilizing them and pouring all kinds of concoctions on them.

They know what to do. They are genetically wired to do one thing and only one thing. Make leaves and make flowers! Okay, so that's two things. But they know that. They don't need you sticking your nose in their business. If you give them the three things mentioned above and leave them alone they will grow and bloom.

When Should I Trim or Prune my Nikko Blue Hydrangea?

Nikko Blue is in the macrophylla family of hydrangeas and therefore most people say to prune it right after it blooms. That's great advice and you should follow it, but this spring I discovered something that has me a little perplexed. I bought about 50 Nikko Blues this spring. They were in the field and were dug just a tad late. On top of that I think they got tazed by a little frost. That's a new gardening term, Tazed. In other words, they didn't look so good, and were pretty much unappealing.

So I decided to prune them really hard, even though it was the middle of May.

What happened? After they were pruned they flushed out with beautiful new growth and then started blooming like crazy! Not only did I prune them in the middle of May, I cut them back really hard.

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it many, many times in the future.
Quit tinkering with your plants!

They don't need all of those store bought concoctions to make them do this or do that, sing and dance and jump over the moon. They just don't need it! They need good soil that drains well, water on a regular basis, and sunshine. That's what they need. That's all they need.

Mike! Liar, liar Pants on Fire!

You just said you fertilized these hydrangeas in June! You're telling me not to fertilize and you are fertilizing. You tell me one thing and then you do something else yourself. What gives Mike?

Great question! You caught me. This is really important for you to understand. The plants in my landscape do not get fertilized ever. Except maybe the roses because if and when I remember to do so I spray them with Bayer 3-1 Rose and Flower Spray and that does contain some fertilizer. All of the other plants in my landscape do not get fertilized ever. They haven't been fertilized since I bought them.

Why no fertilizer for the plants in my landscape? They just don't need it. They do absolutely fine without it.

Why Do I Fertilize Plants in Containers?

Plants that are grown in the nursery in containers are grown in what is called a soil-less growing mix. In other words, the soil in the pot is not soil at all and it does not contain any soil. It's usually a combination of bark mixes. There are a lot of reasons for this and a big one is drainage. These bark mixes drain really well. But that means that a lot of nutrients are getting washed away before they can be absorbed by the plant. And these soil-less mixes are really low in nutrients to begin with. So plants grown in containers have to be fertilized. Plants in a landscape do not have to be fertilized. I hope that makes sense.

How Do I Make My Nikko Blue Hydrangea Blue?

If your Nikko Blue is not Blue, or Blue enough you can add Aluminum Sulfate to the soil and that should make the blooms more blue in color. You can get the Aluminum Sulfate at any full service garden center.
How Do You Propagate Hydrangeas?

Most hydrangeas are easy to propagate if you do them in the summer using soft new growth. Not spring, but summer. Mid June or later.

So. what did we learn from this article?

Quit tinkering with your plants. Just let them be plants. They know what to do. In order for plants to make a flower bud they have to slow down or almost quit growing all together to work on flower buds. But if you are dumping all kind of performance enhancing concoctions on them they can't slow down and make flowers. It's like you holding the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor then trying to turn the corner. It just not going to work!

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Plants in Pots Verses Plants in Beds or in the Field

Plants in Pots Verses Plants in Beds or in the Field
By Michael J McGroarty

Beds verses pots?

Good question. If you have really nice soil, plants in the ground will out grow plants in pots most of the time, unless of course your potting soil is perfect. If the potting soil is less than perfect, the plants in pots will be slower growing.

For years it has been my contention that plants in beds will out grow plants in pots and I usually say that because most people don't have their potting soil exactly where it should be when starting out, so, bed planting makes more sense until you get you potting soil in good shape.

I've Made a Lot of Mistakes. Learn from them.

This year we potted up a bunch of Potentilla but I stuck about 10 of them in a landscape planting to use as stock plants. The plants in the pots are far out growing the ones that I planted in the bed. Why? Potting soil must be pretty close to what it should be and the plants in the bed are small and mulched with 3" of bark mulch. Not enough roots into the soil? Have we kept the plants in the pots watered more consistently than the ones in the bed? Probably.

I don't know for sure, but as soon as I draw a conclusion about something I see something that makes me contradict my earlier claim.

So here's my conclusion as of today.

In most cases if the soil in your yard is good plants in beds will out grow plants in pots. Unless your potting soil is near perfect.

Plants in pots need a lot more water. A lot more water!

Plants in pots are much easier to care for and keep weed free because you can pack them together then spread apart as needed. Once the plants fill out the pot the weeds don't have much room to grow.

Plants in the ground? It takes a lot of calories (energy) to get plants out of the ground and the window of time to do so is pretty small. Digging season starts after Thanksgiving and ends about mid April in zones 5 and 6. Other zones are similar but the window is longer in the far north and shorter in the south.

If you plant in the ground, mulch the beds. This spring we put a lot of time, energy, effort and money into mulching all of our Japanese maple beds. What a difference. Weeds starting showing up in the isles weeks before the mulched beds and we used a pre-emergent herbicide over the entire area. The mulch helped the plants, it really helped with weed control, and I believe it carried the pre-emergent better than the soil.

Plants in the ground or in the field have to be close enough together to make weed control manageable, and even then, you'll spend a lot of time "managing those weeds".

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Why Do I Need Raised Beds? Do I Need Raised Beds?

Why Do I Need Raised Beds? Do I Need Raised Beds?
By Michael J McGroarty

There are three primary reasons for building raised beds.

1. For things like vegetable gardening having a raised bed can be take some of the stress off or your back if you have a weak back. But of course, building a raised bed usually requires some work so it's not something that you want to do if you don't have to. But if it's next to impossible for you to get down that low, or not good for you to kneel, then having somebody help you build a raised bed could be the best thing in the world for you.

2. Poor soil! If you have really poor soil in your yard and plants just don't grow all that well, building a raised bed allows you to fill that bed with rich soil that is loaded with organic matter. If you have really good soil in your raised bed that drains well you can water as needed and not be concerned about things getting too wet, or worse, staying wet for too long. When installing landscapes, and I've landscaped well over 500 homes in my career, I always raised the beds for these two reasons. In many cases the soil is poor, so I want nice soil to plant in so the landscape plants thrive. And secondly is the aesthetic appeal that a raised bed provides.

Aesthetics.

3. One of the primary reasons that we create raised beds when landscaping is because when the bed is raised you can do a better job of showing off the beautiful plants in the landscape. If you just mark out a bed around your house and plant the shrubs you lose the stair step effect of good landscaping. You should look at landscaping as a set of steps. From the street the first step is lawn, the second is the raised bed, the third the low growing shrubs in the very front of the landscape, the fourth the medium growing shrubs in the middle of the landscape planting and fifth being the taller shrubs in the back of the landscape.

Are raised beds always a good idea?

No they are not. I know that might come as a shock to a lot of folks, but raised beds are not always a good idea and sometimes they are a terrible idea. Why is that?

Cold weather!

One of the things that we come to understand very quickly in the nursery business is that the during the winter, the earth is warm, the air is cold. The closer you can keep things to the earth, the warmer they area. We never put plants on pallets or any other raised area for the winter. We want the bottom of the containers touching the soil. It makes all the difference in the world.

In my nursery I actually have an under ground bunker that I dug out and I use it to store bare root plants during the winter. It's not all that big, probably about 8' long and 36" wide and only 24" to 30" deep, but when I put things in there they do not freeze.

So make a mental note of that. The earth is warm. The farther you get from the surface of the earth, the colder things are. And the drier they are!

During the winter dry is not a good thing.

That's another thing you ought to know. During the winter plants need to be hydrated. That's why they are always much better outside in a protected area than they are in a shed or a garage. Believe it or not, the air inside of a building is much drier than the air outside. And I'm talking about an Unheated Building. It's still dry.

The closer to the earth the warmer plants are, and the more moist they are. They like that. It makes them happy.

Can a raised bed be too high?

Technically, a raised bed can be too high. It puts the plants at risk because they can dry out more easily and they will freeze harder, go through the freeze thaw cycle more often.

Taking advantage of ground heat.

Don't over look how much trouble I go to take advantage of ground heat here in the nursery. All of our containers are below grade because I do not cover them for winter. But again, my soil drains, so I know they won't be too wet. All of our containers sit on the ground, never up on a raised surface of any kind. I often buy plants during the winter that get shipped to me bare root, they go underground so they can't freeze.

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How to Propagate and Grow 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood Trees, Cornus Kousa

How to Propagate and Grow 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood Trees, Cornus Kousa
By Michael J McGroarty

Chinese Dogwood trees are really special because they bloom later than most flowering trees and often bloom longer.

There's not much difference between the 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood tree and a regular Chinese Dogwood tree, Cornus kousa, except one really big thing. Milky Way blooms at a very young age!

The standard Chinese Dogwood trees which are typically grown from seed can take up to 7 to 10 years before they make their first flower. Where Milky Way blooms when really young, which makes it the preferred variety.

There are a number of different ways to propagate 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwoods.

Typically when you want to produce an exact clone of any hybrid plant you have to use a means of asexual reproduction such as rooting cuttings, budding, grafting or tissue culture. Typically when you grow a plant from seed, which is sexual reproduction, you'll get a seedling that resembles the parent plant but the seedling is not likely to have all of the desired characteristics that you were trying to capture.

So all of the above will work with the 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood. You can take softwood cuttings and root them during the summer, typically June in most climates is a good time. Budding works great but in order to do budding you first need a root stock to bud onto which means that you would first have to grow a Chinese Dogwood from seed. The same holds true for grafting.

'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood holds a secret that few are aware of.

They will come true from seed! That means that if you collect seeds from a 'Milky Way' Chinese Dogwood and grow those seeds, a percentage of them, not all of them, but some of them will contain all of the genes that make 'Milky Way' so special. Especially the highly desirable ability to bloom at a young age.

How Do You Know which Seedlings will be 'Milky Way'?

You have to grow them out and watch them as they grow. The very first ones to make flowers in the first few years are sure to have those 'Milky way' characteristics. Those that don't have those characteristics won't bloom for at least 5, 7 or even 10 years!

How to Grow Chinese Dogwoods from Seed.

The trees bloom in early summer and after the flowers are spent seed pods start to form. Unlike other dogwood trees the seed pod on a Chinese Dogwood are much larger, softer and squishy. By fall these seed pods turn bright red and somewhat resemble and are almost as large as a strawberry. Allow the seed pods to remain on the tree all summer until fall. You have to give the seeds inside of the seed pod time to mature. Typically once the seed pods start falling to the ground in the fall you can harvest the remaining seed pods from the tree.

Getting the Seeds Out of the Seed Pods.

Take an old window screen and place it on blocks so air can pass beneath and over the window screen. Spread the seed pods out on the window screen and allow them to dry. As they dry you can crush the outer coating between your fingers and eventually you'll be able to separate the seeds from the chaff. Do this in your garage. If you do it outside chipmunks and other critters will rob you of your seeds. I promise you they will. It happened to me! Once you have seeds in hand you have a couple of different options for getting them to germinate and I'll share them both with you, but I'd have to say that option #1 is probably easier and equally effective.

Chinese Dogwood Seed Growing Option #1.

Fill a flat with a good seed starting mix. Do this in the fall, as soon as you have cleaned the seeds. Spread the seeds out evenly over the growing medium and gently press them into or tightly against the growing medium. Next sprinkle a very light layer of seed starting mix over the seeds. Just enough to cover them. The rule of thumb is twice the length of the seed. That's how much you should soil you should have covering your seeds.

Next take the flat outside and place it in a shady area that is protected from the wind. You are going to leave the flat outside in the protected area all winter. The seeds have to absorb moisture and the outer coating of the seed has to soften before the seedling can grow. They also have to go through a cold treatment. By leaving the flat outside in the cold, freezing, damp weather you are really mimicking what Mother Nature intended in order for the seedlings to grow. Don't worry about them! They are not baby chicks! They need some harsh treatment.

You have to Critter Proof Your Flat of Seeds!

Make sure to cover your flat of seeds with a piece of hardware cloth (window screen) and make sure it is securely fastened down so chipmunks, field mice or the Lockness Monster can't get to your seeds. Come spring, about mid spring, you can remove the screen and water the flat as needed. Don't keep the growing medium soggy all the time. It takes heat to germinate seeds so let the soil dry and warm between watering.

Air Prune those Little Seedlings.

Once your seedlings have germinated I'd just leave them in the flat untouched until fall. Once they start growing you can raise the flat and put two boards under the flat. That will keep the seedlings from growing through the flat into the ground. This is known as air pruning. As the roots reach the bottom of the flat and start to grow through they are exposed to the air. That exposure will kill the tips of the roots. That's a good thing because what it does is when the tips of the roots are terminated via air pruning the plant starts to make more lateral roots and when you pull your seedlings from the flat they will have nice little, but full root balls.

Warning, Warning, Warning!

Once you raise that flat off the ground and allow air to circulate under the flat you will have to ramp up your watering schedule because the flat will dry out very easily with air passing beneath it. Another option would be to place a piece of plastic under the flat and not let the air pass below. This may not work as well for root pruning, but if you think you might miss a watering, don't take that chance.

Chinese Dogwood Seed Growing Option #2.

The second option is an indoor technique.

Clean the seeds as described above. Once you have the seeds cleaned just put them into a paper lunch bag and store them in a cool, dry place until late winter. About early February get the seeds out and put them in a zip lock bag with some seed starting mix. Shake the bag up mixing the seeds with the seed starting mix. Wet the mix well, then squeeze all of the water that you can out of the mix. Close the bag up, but poke a few holes in the bag so you have a little bit of air flow. Place the bag in your refrigerator and leave it there for 90 days.

This is known as stratifying the seeds. Basically you are giving them the cold treatment that they need, and you are softening the outer coating of the seed with the damp, but not soggy soil mix.

After 90 days remove the bag from the refrigerator and look for sprouting seeds. As the seeds sprout just pick them out with tweezers and plant them in a flat of seed starting mix about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Leave the bag out in a warm area, room temperature, but not in direct sunlight, and watch for more sprouting seeds.

Keep the seedlings indoors until the danger of frost and freezing weather has safely passed, then move the flat outside in a shady area and water as described above.

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Choosing Deer Resistent Plants

Choosing Deer Resistent Plants
By Michael J McGroarty

Many of us spend a great deal of time working in our gardens and perfecting our landscaping. We spend hours on end planting, trimming and watering. We take pride in our hard work. We literally reap the fruits (and flowers) of our labor. Waking up one morning to find that hungry deer have ravaged our plants makes us madder than a wet hen.

There are things we can use to deter deer from eating our plants. Elephant garlic, Deer-Off, Liquid Fence, baby formula, hot sauce, and (my personal favorite) predator urine do alright for dissuading them, but rather than chase deer away from plants they love we can save ourselves a lot of frustration by planting things that they don't particularly like to eat.

Now, you might have heard that there is no such thing as a deer proof plant. All plants are subject to being mowed down by deer if they are hungry enough. There are, however, plants (nice looking ones) that are generally avoided by deer.

Here's what we know about deer dining habits:

As much as 90% of their water requirements are met by munching on lush greens and tender young, plant growth.

Deer prefer high protein crops such as peas, soybeans, turnips, alfalfa and corn.

They like trail mix. Fruit, nuts and seeds are especially important when the green vegetation starts to dwindle.

There are very few animals that can resist the sweet smell of apples. Deer are one of them.

They will happily rip off the bark of maples, aspens and dogwoods. They get water from their bark and it sits heavily in their four-chambered stomachs, keeping them full longer.

Okay, we know what they prefer. Now what do they avoid?

Deer are sensitive to smells and most strong scents can drive them away (unless that smell is apples!)

Like small children, deer don't like strange textures in their food. They prefer not to eat things that are fuzzy, prickly or thorny. (They do like roses though. I guess in their case, the thorns are worth the taste of the delicious flower.)

Deer avoid plants with milky sap and other plants that will upset their stomachs or give them heartburn.

Deer prefer not to walk through sharp ornamental grasses or thorny brush to get to food.

Zinnias - Deer avoid the prickly center of zinnia flowers

Okay, now for the good stuff!

There are a variety of beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees that we can plant in our yard that deer are unlikely to do much damage to. I have compiled this list based on information I have collected from searching educational websites, retail and wholesale suppliers' recommendations, public forums and my own personal experience.

In honor of the Winter Olympics, I will divide them up into two categories: SILVER (plants that deer generally dislike eating) and GOLD (plants that deer really dislike eating).

First, the SILVER medal winners:

Beebalm
Buckthorn (Rhamnus)
Calla Lily
Columbine
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Echinacea (Coneflower)
English Lavender
Evening Primrose
Gladiolus
Lily Turf
Oriental Poppy
Parsley
Rose of Sharon
Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)
Sage (Salvia)
Smokebush
Speedwell
Weigela
Yarrow
Zinnia

... And for the GOLD:

American Holly
Arrowwood Viburnum
Barberry
Bayberry
Bleeding Heart
Bluebell
Blue Fescue
Butterfly Bush
Catmint
Common Boxwood
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Foxglove
Germander
Hummingbird Mint
Iris
Japanese Blood Grass
Lamb's Ear
Lily of the Valley
Lungwort
Maiden Grass
Oregano
Poppy (note: Oriental Poppy scored a silver)
Purple Moor Grass
Red Hot Poker
Riverbirch
Rosemary
Russian Olive
Russian Sage
Snap Dragon
Switchgrass
Thyme
Yucca

Of course there are always exceptions. Time of year and scarcity of food will ultimately determine the eating habits of deer.

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How to Grow a Plum Tree

How to Grow a Plum Tree
By Conner John

Plums are a delicious fruit ready for harvesting at the end of the summer are an easy tree to grow. With some suitable for cooking and others ideal for eating fresh from the tree, all you need to do is choose the right plum tree for your garden.

Some plum trees can grow to thirty feet tall, some are available as small trees, others are suitable for growing in pots which are ideal for a very small garden and some are self-fertile, whilst others will need a pollinating partner, therefore you will probably need to do a little research to find the ideal plum tree to suit your particular needs.

Plum trees grow well in most types of soil provided it is free draining and they also prefer a year round moist soil, therefore if you have a very sandy soil, extra organic matter will be required to assist the soil in retaining moisture.

The site is also important as plum trees require a warm, sheltered position away from winds, in full sun and also away from any frost pockets. They will also not fare well if planted in any low lying ground that is likely to become water logged or near other trees who will effectively steal moisture from them.

Plum trees come as either bare rootstock which should only be planted when they are dormant from roughly October to March or in containers which can be planted at any time, although in both cases, make sure the ground is not waterlogged or frozen and again, in both cases, the very best month for planting is October whilst the ground is still warm after the summer sunshine and with the added benefit of the autumn rain which will help the plum trees settle into the ground.

To give the soil time to settle down prepare the ground a few weeks before planting by digging a large hole and mixing in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure with the removed soil, refilling and then finish off by sprinkling some slow release organic fertiliser on top.

How to Prepare the Plot and Plant your Plum Tree

Dig a hole in your earlier prepared soil that is both deep and wide enough to comfortably house the roots and then place your tree in the hole and spread out the roots. In the case of container grown trees, the tree needs to be planted to the same depth as it was in its container and for bare rootstock trees, plant to the same depth as the soil mark on its trunk or if that is not clear, make sure the joining point between the rootstock and the scion, which can be seen as a bulge in the stem, is about 2 inches above ground level (this also applies to container grown plum trees). Back fill with the removed soil, firming in well as you go to remove any air pockets, then water in well if the conditions are dry.

For the first few years your plum tree will also require some support by way of a stake which should be placed in the hole before the tree. The stake should be about 5 foot high and 2 inches in diameter and placed to a depth of about 2 foot below the ground with the remaining 3 feet above ground and with a space of about 6 inches between the stake and the tree. After planting the tree and back filling with soil as directed above, tie the trunk to the stake loosely with plastic or rubber ties (do not use anything, for example wire, which may cut into the trees trunk). Once the tree has settled in the ties may need tightening after a few weeks and as soon as the stem starts to grow and thicken you will need to make sure that the ties do not start to cut into the stem, loosening them as soon as they become too tight, this will usually be for the first couple of years or so.

If you are growing your plum tree in a pot then one with plenty of drainage holes will be necessary and of about 2 foot in diameter being the ideal size (but no less than 18 inches) and to help retain moisture and assist with drainage, place some small stones, horticultural grit or broken crocks in the bottom of the pot and then fill with a soil based compost, pressing down as you go to remove any air pockets. Sit the container on pot feet or bricks to allow for drainage in your chosen sunny site and water the plum tree in well.

How to Grow and Care for your Plum Tree

Your plum tree will need to be kept watered well during any hot and dry weather, paying particular attention to those grown in a pot, not allowing them to dry out.

Apart from keeping the base of your plum tree from weeds, a yearly sprinkling of a slow release organic fertiliser applied to the soil, followed by a two inch thick layer of mulch, spread canopy wide but avoiding the trunk, in early spring will give your plum tree a boost of nutrients as well as helping to keep moisture in and weeds out!

A particular problem with plum trees that a lot of people come across is that one year they will have a bumper harvest (which can sap the tree of strength and cause branches to snap off through too much weight), followed by a year of next to nothing. A regular yearly thinning should help keep things a bit more consistent and also help the fruits to develop a good size.

From about the middle of May, when the plums are starting to form, remove any diseased or damaged fruit and give any remaining fruit enough room to swell (preferably so that they do not touch each other as they get bigger). After about a month or so give your fruit a further thinning if necessary, when plums are mature they need a space of about one inch between them.

Pests and Diseases of the Plum Tree

The plum tree can be susceptible to diseases such as silver leaf, brown rot, blossom wilt, bacterial canker and pests such as, birds, wasps, aphids, and plum maggots.

How to Harvest your Plums

Plums will normally be ready for harvesting from August through to October depending on your chosen variety and will be at their best if left to ripen on the tree, therefore a regular checking over is essential so as not to miss any that have suddenly ripened. It should be fairly apparent when they are ready by their ripe scent and full colour or just by giving them a very gentle squeeze to test if they are soft.

Plums will bruise easily so take care when harvesting them. Now you can go ahead and enjoy your delicious fresh straight from the tree, or alternatively turn them into jams, preserves or chutney. A glut of plums can easily be frozen by removing their stones.

How to Prune a Plum Tree

Plum trees should only be pruned in the summer (ideally the middle of June) whilst they are still growing as winter pruning when they are dormant is likely to result in silver leaf disease.

The aim when pruning your plum tree is to obtain a nice, goblet shaped tree, with little in the way of foliage or branches in the centre and with the remaining branches growing upwards. To achieve this shape, once a year (June) cut out any shoots that are growing into the trees centre and to encourage more growth, outward growing branches should be hard pruned back.

The rootstock of your plum tree is liable to throw out suckers which should be cut out as soon as they appear by either cutting back to below ground level or ideally, dig out some of the soil, this will expose where the sucker is growing on the roots and then just pull it off.

This article was brought to you by Conner John, the marketing manager for Tree Surgeons Wimbledon, an arboricultural company based in Wimbledon. We provide all types of tree services including tree removal, pruning, stump grinding and 24hr emergency tree work. See our website for more information.

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